Ball bearing and method of forming and assembling the same



Jun'e 3. 1924. 1,496,516

- W. C. BETZ BALL BEARING AND METHOD OF FORMING AND ASSEIBLING THE SAMEFiled April 3. 1923 balls Patented June 3, 1924.

WILLIAM c. can; or NEW Barre -1N, connnc'rxco r.

.11am, BEARING min mim'rxon or romxmeama AssmLmG THE sama Applicationfiled Apri'l 3,

To all wlmmitmdy cmwcrn:

"lle it known that I, VILLIAM 0. am; a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, re-.' siding at New Britain, Connecticut, have invented? a newandguseful- Im rgven ent" in Ball Bearings and Methods O EO 'I1lil1g:and Assembling the Samdof, which: the fol lowing is a specification. U jlily-invention relatesv to certain nea and useful .improi'eincnts inballbearings'of the unit handling" type jand particularlytothe spacing'niea'ns for the balls, My main object is to provide a very sitnple a'ndefl'ective nieans'n-hich will hold the balls in proper spaced relationand which may be cheaply made and easily applied. andremoved.

In the drawings 7 Fig. 1 is a'side elevation of a ball bearing embodyingmy invention. h

Fig. 2 is a quarter sectional view.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the ball spacer detached, said view beingopposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of the spacer looked at from the edge.

1-2 represent two concentric bearing rings arranged one within theother, said rings having complementary ball raceways formed therein forthe reception of balls 3-3. These raceways are preferably uninterruptedand continuous throughout their length, and the balls and the rings areassembled by the well-known method of first displacing the ring 2eccentrically withrelation to the ring l, and then introducing into theopen space between the rings as many as possible. The rings are thenbrought into concentric relation and the balls are distributed aroundthe race ways and then the spacing means is applied.

The means for spacing the balls comprises an annular strip of sheetmetal shaped to form, at substantially equal intervals, hall pockets 4-4open at one side of said annulus. The wall of each ball pocket ispreferably corrugated or channeled, as seen by reference to Fig. .1. oneadvantage being to stifi'en the same. 5-5 are substantially rigid ornon-compressible bridging pieces or sections. each of which connects theends of adjacent ball pockets 4-4. The space between the ends of suchadjacent bridging pieces 55 as are to be utilized to hold the spacer-inplace is slightly less than the diameter of the ball adapted to theintervening pocket. and the depth of the ball pocket i eza' seriai No.629,601.

is slightly more than oneahalf of the ball di-' amete'r; hence, when thespacer is in place, the presence of the ball in thepocket will hold thespacer in place against accidental detachment. By the arrangement shown,

the spacers may be snapped into place even though each 'brid e5 18non-compressible and is of greater ength than the space between adjacentballs. When the spaceriis to be applied to a bearing, each-bridgin piecefirst encounters two adjacent balls, an since the space between theballs is less than the length of certain or all of said bridging pieces,it is obvious that such bridging piece cannot be applied or removedunless some sort of deformation takes place. As pressure is applied tothe side of the spacer ring, the presence of the balls in the mouthsofthe ball pockets tends to crowd the spacer portions 5-4) outwardly orradiall 1 relatively to the center of the bearing, t ereby producing atwist in the spacer ring through out its circumference. suits in openingthe mouth of each ball pocket sufiiciently to permit the bridging piecesto snap through the wider spaces outside of .the adjacent points ofadjacent balls,

whereupon the resiliency of the. metal of the spacer restores saidspacer to its normal shape and the bridging pieces relied upon to holdthe spacer in place will be slightly less than the diameter of the balltherein. While it is preferred thatthc len' h of each bridging section 5should. he s ightly greater than the shortest distance between the twoballs adjacent thereto, this is not essential, as a. fewer number ofsuch bridging sections for retaining purposes will of course serve tohold the spacer in place.

It will be noted hat the ball bearing shown and described is of the typeknown'as a unit handling bearing, and that the inventio'en relates to aball spacer construction which is especially adapted to a hearing ofthat type.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a ball bearing, two spaced bearing rings. one arrangedconcentrically Within the other, said rings having continuous anduninterrupted raceway grooves therein. balls in said raceway groovesserving: to hold the same in assembled relation. a hall spacing meanscomprising a sheet metal annulus bent to form a phirality of ballreceiving pockets open at one side of said annulus. certain of saidpockets being i,it' sl igl1tly slightly greater length than the spare.he-v ttreen the halls arljaeent. thereto. the FIHHI between saidbridging pieces and the inside. of the outer r|ng being 'sullieient tnpernut the said longer bridging pieces to be sprung outwardly in aradial direelinn relatively In the center of the lwaring; when-hysaidspacer may be snapped into plare.

2. In a ball bearing. twu spaced hearing rings, one arrangedeonceigrieally n'ithin the other, said rings having euntinnnus'anduninterrupted raceway grooves therein. halls in said raeewav grtmvesserving to hold the same in assenibled relation. a ball sparing meanscomprising a sheet, metal annulus bent to form a pluralitv of hallrewiring pockets open at one side of said annulus, said pockets being ofSlightly greater depth than one-half the diameter of the halls earriedtherein. and substantiallv nun-emupressible bridging pieces minim-tingthe ends forming adjacent hall puehets. said bridgin pieces being ofslightly greater length t an the space between the halls adjaeent.thereto. the spaeehet ween said bridging pieces and the inside of theouter ring being sufficient, to permit the said bridging pieces to besprung uulwardly in a radial direction relatively In the enter nf thebmiring whereby said spacer may be snapped into plaee.

3. The method of l'urmiup and applying a hall spacer to a unit handlin;ball bearing cmnpnsed of two concentric rings having QUIIfIUIIlI-lllllball races with halls therein. said method emu arising lii si forming asheet metal annulus with ball packets in nne sida' of a depth slightlygreater than one half the diameter 0f an individual ball. the ends ofadjacentpoekets being conneeled by substantially nu"compressible bridgessome 0t which are slightly greater in length than the space between thehalls adjacent theretn, then up )lying said spacer to said balls withsaid bal s faeingsaid packets, then applying force on said spacersutlieient to cause those parts carrying the longer bridges tomomentarily inure radially suflieient to ripen the ends of the adjacentpockets to such unextent as to permit the adjacent balls to pass intothe pockets whereby said spacer will snap into the hall spacingposition.

WILLIA M C. BETZ

